


Prompt: Zipper

by its_not_my_fault



Series: Tumblr Fics and Fun with Prompts [7]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Not Beta Read, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Zari Tarazi - Freeform, beebo help us, i am hellstar trash, this is just them being soft honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26409367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_not_my_fault/pseuds/its_not_my_fault
Summary: Award shows are long and exhausting, and John Constantine was supposed to be there.
Relationships: John Constantine/Zari Tomaz | Zari Tarazi
Series: Tumblr Fics and Fun with Prompts [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896427
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	Prompt: Zipper

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a story based on this prompt like two weeks ago, posted it, and then nearly immediately deleted it because I hated what I'd written--it didn't feel right. I've now rewritten basically the whole thing. If you read the original (doubtful, it was available for all of three hours), you'll see I kept a few of the same lines and the premise that Zari hungry and exhausted after attending an award show. Aside from a few similarities, especially at the beginning of the story, what I wrote this time is pretty different. I hope it's better! Maybe it's good, maybe it isn't, but it feels better to me, so I'm going with that.

Zari strode through Waverider, past the library, and almost got past the lab where Behrad and Nate were lounging, before Gideon, the traitor, spoke up. Gideon had been trying to talk to her all through the awards too. Honestly, it was getting ridiculous, and Zari didn't understand why the AI was so persistent tonight. 

"Good evening Miss Tarazi. Congratulations on your award." With that, Gideon had announced Zari's presence and revealed where she'd been. Zari wanted out of the dress she'd been wearing for hours and decompress before talking to anyone else. Exhaustion was weighing on her, but she took a deep breath and put on her public face. 

"An award? RiRi, have you been holding out on us?" Behrad teased. 

Zari scowled at the old nickname and did not admit she found it comforting that he was using it occasionally now. It reminded her of when they were young, and Behrad looked up to his older sister. 

"I told you about it. You asked me if you could come and hit on the other attendees. You lost interest when I told you the event was three hours, and there wouldn't be any food served." 

"No food?" Nate asked, coming up behind Behrad and slinging his arm over her brother's shoulder. "The  _ monsters _ ." 

"Does everyone wear their clothes so tight? Because I'm thinking that's why they don't serve food. Serious question, can you breathe?" 

Zari rolled her eyes at her brother. "I can breathe fine, but I'm tired, so I want comfortable clothes, a salad, and a nap-- _ in that order _ ." 

"Uh-huh, in a minute. Those shoes look particularly high. Hey," Behrad leaned toward her conspiratorially. "Are you taller than John in those shoes? Is that why you didn't take him with you?" Behrad quipped and acted like he was looking around for John. Zari started walking away, but the guys disentangled themselves and followed her.

"Hey, what'd you win?" Nate asked. "And where's your award?" 

Zari stopped walking and faced them again, and they barely managed not to walk into her. "I promise to answer all your questions later. When I have--"

"Gotten comfortable clothes, a salad, and a nap," Behrad intoned. 

"Exactly," Zari smiled and turned on her heel. She just needed to be herself without other's expectations weighing on her for a little while. Was that really too much to ask?

"Miss Tarazi, there's also--"

"Later, please, Gidget." 

"But--"

"Noooooo," Zari whined. She was too tired. "Later, please, later." 

"If you think that's best," Gideon answered, obviously suggesting it wasn't for the best, but Zari couldn't respond to that right now. She didn't think she could respond to anything right now. She stepped into her room but didn't turn on the lights. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door, thankful to have it between her and everyone else.

Which, of course, was when there was a knock at her door. Zari slapped the button to open the door, fully ready to tell her brother she would talk to him later, but the word __ 'later' froze on her lips. John stood in front of her, slightly hunched, hands shoved in the pockets of his trenchcoat. He looked a little pale, and there was a toothpick clenched between his teeth, probably an attempt at a substitute for the cigarettes he still sorely missed. 

Zari leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed in front of her. Neither of them spoke, so she raised just one eyebrow. 

John sagged. "I'm sorry, love. The exorcism went a bit sideways. It took a lot longer than I thought it would. Everything's fine, but it was... touch and go for a bit. I couldn't leave." 

"And you couldn't call me because you didn't have a phone," Zari sighed.

"I asked Gideon to tell you, but she said she hadn't been able to deliver the message." 

Zari winced, and her arms dropped to her side. No wonder Gideon had been so persistent all night. "I kept shutting her down. Sorry, Gidget!" 

"Apology accepted," Gideon told her cheerfully. 

Zari gave John a small smile, and she watched as his shoulders lifted, and his face relaxed. He still looked tired, but he didn't look so gaunt. It occurred to her suddenly that he had been worried he'd messed things up between them. Sure, the exorcism had left him drained. But it was her silence that scared this nearly recklessly fearless man, not any demon he'd faced. 

For a moment, John was a flurry of motion. When he stilled, he holding out takeout from the little vegan restaurant around the corner from the apartment he still used as a base for his business. "I know the ceremony was long and that they weren't going to serve food, so I thought you might be hungry." 

Zari moved aside a gestured for John to come in. He turned on the lights, but he still looked unsure like he wasn't sure if he was welcome. She loved that she had the power to humble this man made of magic and swagger, but it wasn't a power she wanted to wield right now. She closed the bedroom door, took the food bag with one hand and one of John's hands with the other, and brought everything to the bed where she arranged herself, the food, and John. She wanted out of the dress, but it could wait. She did kick off her shoes, a testament to just how tired she was of being "on" all day and all night between the prep, the red carpet, the interviews, and the ceremony itself. She groaned when she bit into the wrap he'd brought her. It was her favorite from the shop, and it was precisely the balance of light food and satisfaction that settled her stomach after the stress and wear from the day. 

John stood and took off his trenchcoat and tie and laid them over the vanity chair he'd found in an antique shop for her to have on the ship. She wondered if anyone else knew how quietly thoughtful John was. She suspected not. John's shoes joined hers, and he finally threw himself across the bed. His arm was draped over his eyes, but she could see that he still chewed the toothpick. 

Neither of them spoke while she ate, but it wasn't awkward or strained. It was easy. It was like being alone, but better even there shouldn't have been anything better than being alone after everything she'd done today.

It was John that finally broke the silence, though his arm remained draped over his eyes, toothpick bobbing between his lips. "I'm sorry I missed the award show tonight, love. I'm proud of you and what you accomplished." 

She gathered up the trash from her dinner and plucked the toothpick from his lips. John grinned but didn't otherwise move. She stood and tossed everything in the wastebasket before contorting herself to get to the zipper in her dress. Of course, it fought with her. Zari was way too tired for this, and she growled in frustration, but before she could articulate anything specific, John was standing and working on the zipper for her. Zari swept all her hair over one shoulder so that John would be able to get to the back of the dress without her hair in the way. She sighed in relief when she felt the dress fall loose. 

For a few moments, they stood quietly together, Zari leaning back into John's chest while he held her to him. It was the soothing comfort she hadn't realized she desperately wanted. Other nights he would've made a move or provoked her into making one, but tonight felt different. John always made her feel desirable and revered, but right now, he made her feel cherished, and her heart squeezed at the idea. 

John kissed the top of her head before speaking softly into her hair, "Gideon told me more about the history of the award and showed me your acceptance speech. You are making a difference, Zari." It was hard sometimes to deal with genuine praise from him. It felt real in a way that praises from so few others did. Instead of speaking, she turned her head to press a lingering, gentle kiss to his lips. 

"Well, come on now, let's get you out of this dress," John said, and Zari raised her eyebrows at him. John chuckled. "For once, I didn't mean it like that. Not that I'd say no," he punctuated his words by wiggling his eyebrows at her, and she smiled. "But, I think we're both exhausted." 

Zari laughed and shook her head at him. "Let's go to bed then." 

"Of course, love." He brushed a kiss along her shoulder before he whispered in her ear. "You were radiant tonight, sweetheart." 

"I am always radiant," she informed him. 

She was partly teasing, but the intensity in his eyes took her breath away. "Aye, you are, love. Aye, you are."

They didn't speak anymore after that, only found their way to being skin to skin under blankets, limbs tangled, and drifting into sleep.


End file.
